I first met Don Mitchell at one of the weekly jam sessions and dances at the Pioneer Association Hall on Railway Avenue South in North Battleford. Don had teamed up with Dick Scotton (a fine fiddle player in his own right) and the fiddle duo was giving the audience one tune after another. There wasn’t a tune that Don couldn’t play.
Don married Geraldine Heindel (nee Steward) on April 5, 1969. Don did not have any children but Geraldine had two daughters – the oldest is Pamela Heindel; the youngest is Shelda Saunders.
Don played music for over 70 years. During that time he was fortunate to have played with many fine individuals and groups. The following documents Don’s musical journey – his extraordinary skill as a fiddle player, and on the saxophone, and the bands and musicians with whom he played:
Don and a boy named Lew Bell teamed up. Don played fiddle; Lew played guitar. They were soon joined by Wayne Johnson who played accordion. With a lot of practice, they got to be pretty good. They called themselves the Silver String Trio and, in 1952, began to play for country dances in the area. They were paid the princely sum of $5 each and $2 for gas. Lew had bought an electric guitar but most of the halls the boys played in had no power. So Lew took the battery out of his car and presto! Instant power. Often, there wasn’t enough power left in the battery after the dance to start the car. But there was always someone with a set of booster cables to help out.
After university, Don ended up in Swift Current in 1958 where he got to know Ken Horne who owned a music store. A friend, Al Wenzel, and Don frequented the store to visit and play music – Don on fiddle, Al on fiddle and Ken on piano. On one occasion, Don and Al decided to each buy a saxophone. Don went from “couldn’t play” to start but with practice became highly proficient. Months later, his friend, Ken, persuaded him to join the Reserve Army Band. The band’s main venue was military marches, which they played in concerts in Swift Current and surrounding communities.
After a number of years in Swift Current, Don moved back to Prince Albert and promptly got in touch with his old musical buddies – Lew Bell and Wayne Johnson. Lew was tied up with the Cotton Pickers, but Wayne got Don to play fiddle in his band. Wayne played base guitar. In addition, Louis Braeten played accordion, Norm Samson played guitar and Marcel Krack played tenor banjo – a very talented group. The band played private clubs (Lions, Officers Mess, etc.) as well as community dances. The band was a hit.
After Don got married, he and his wife lived in Loon Lake where Don soon got to know local musician Norm Friesen, an excellent base player who played in a Goodsoil dance band called Tony’s Polka Kings. The leader was accordion player Tony Feser. Don was invited to join. He counted this band experience as one of the best in his career.
In 1977, the Mitchells moved to Battleford. Tony moved to Lloydminster. Don thought that was the end of playing in a band. But Tony thought otherwise. Tony insisted they could still play. Importantly, Tony’s wife, Evelyn, took over on drums. But Norm Friesen decided to quit the band. Al Wenzel, who had transferred from Swift Current to North Battleford, joined the band. He played with them for the next seven years, and the band took on a new name – Westwinds.
When the Mitchells moved to Battleford, Lambert Woarms from St. Walburg played guitar with the band. He played with the band for a couple of years and the bowed out to start a family band. In the meantime, Don got to know musicians in and around the Battlefords, including Jack Loughlin, an excellent guitar and piano player. He could lay on the criticism of the band when he felt it was warranted. They also made a cassette tape which sold well. When Jack quit the band, Tony found another good guitar player – Tom West, one of the best rhythm guitarists Don ever had the privilege of playing with. He was also a good singer, and a great band member. The band also acquired bass player, Sam Rolheiser, so they were set for the next few years.
The band usually played four sets from nine p.m. to one a.m with 10 minutes off between sets. Don would play sax for two sets and fiddle on the third. The band really came together during the last few years. They even had six or seven couples follow the band around from dance to dance.
Sadly, Tony died suddenly in November of 1985. Tony looked after all the bookings and the business side of things. No one wanted to do the bookings so the band was reduced to playing 10 or 12 dances instead of the usual 30 to 40, and then the band folded. As a side comment, in 1986, Don had played with Tony for 15 years
Then opportunity came knocking. A concert band was being organized. No experience necessary. It was good music – difficult – from Broadway shows and movie scores. Don had to relearn to play by notes. At first Don struggled. Luckily, Willard Coates came to his rescue. Willard made it seem so easy. Concerts were held at different venues, including the Third Avenue United Church, the Capitol Theatre, the Battleford United Church, the Saskatchewan Hospital and the new Dekker Centre. Don played alto-sax in the Concert Band (now the Senior Kinsmen Band) for a remarkable 31 years (1983 to 2014).
Back in 1977, when the Mitchells had moved to Battleford, they joined the Battleford United Church Choir where Don got to know Bob Allan, a very good singer. The socializing was half the fun. Don and his wife also joined a community choir called the Chapel Community Singers. with Glen Goodman directing and Cathy Watson on piano.
Shortly thereafter, Don met Neil Smith who asked Don to join the Valleyview Fiddlers – three fiddles, piano, bass guitar, rhythm guitar and banjo. Don really enjoyed playing with this group. The Valleyview Fiddlers played for seniors and Pioneer Association dances. Of note, the Good Sam RV organization (members from all over Canada and even the United States) asked them to play for a big dance in the Battleford Arena. The music went over really well for at least 500 people. That night they had Harold Anderson, Ross Currie, Neil Smith and Don on fiddle, Pat Smith on bass guitar, Edna Weum on rhythm guitar, Ann Hokeson (later replaced by Joan Harrison) on piano and Ted Glubrecht on banjo. What a night it was!
Every year, the Battleford Legion sponsored a fiddle jamboree at the Battleford Arena. Guest fiddlers were invited. The Valleyview Fiddlers always played for the big windup dance.
In later years, Don played with a smaller group called the Eagle Hills Band. The band played for seniors in extended home care and the Pioneer Association. When the band disbanded in 2016, all that was left were Don and Joan on piano.
Don entered a number of fiddle contests over the years – in Prince Albert, Lloydminster and North Battleford. Don won first place in 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2006. In the summer of 1997, Don attended the Emma Lake Fiddle Camp directed by Calvin Volrath (arguably the best fiddle player in the world). In the evening, the instructors would host a concert (great music) – Calvin Volrath, John Arcand, and Patt Kosturuk on fiddles, Trent Bruner on piano and Gord Fisch on guitar. Don then competed in the Saskatchewan Provincial Fiddle Championships in Govan. Don walked away with second place in the Senior Division.
Sometime later, Gene Aulinger started an adult band program for anyone wanting to learn to play an instrument. Willard Coates and Don decided to learn clarinet and decided to join. They played concerts in the Kinsmen Band Hall.
In his later years, one of Don’s great accomplishments was playing with the Meota Hobby Band. They practiced in the Meota Do Drop Inn. The band had three saxophones so Don brought his clarinet and fiddle. The band members also played keyboards, bass guitar, rhythm guitar, drums and harmonica. Garnet Speer was a shining star. Not only was Garnet the leader of the band, he arranged all of the music for every band member (a tremendous amount of work). Don was of the opinion that Garnet was the best musician he had ever met. The Hobby Band played venues including the Western Development Museum, Agravilla, seniors care homes and Meota.
The Student Beginners Band continued to be viable. Director Gene Aulinger asked Don, Garnet Speer and Bud Moar to help with young musicians who were bussed in. Practices were held on Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m. The kids got personal instruction and it was truly amazing how quick they learned. Don really enjoyed helping these young people learn to play the saxophone. Don also assisted Harold Anderson with a beginners fiddle program, which he had started at Lawrence School.
On May 3, 2009, Don and Garnet Speer were presented with the Don Krueger Memorial Award for outstanding commitment to the band. Both Don and Garnet were recognized for their work with the young musicians group.
Don noted that music had been, and was, a large part of his life, whether it was playing fiddle, saxophone, clarinet or singing in the church choir. He met many people and made many friends. Making music was the most enjoyable time of his life.
As for me, I have never met a musician with such extraordinary talent, and range of talent. He’s not getting any younger, but his skills do not appear to have diminished. He’s not done by a long shot. And, Don is a great personality. I count it my good fortune to have got to know Don as a musician and I count him as a good friend.
